Tire-protector.



PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907. .0. E. KIMBALL. TIRE PROTETR.

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PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

`G. E. KIMBALL.

TIRE PROTEC'I'ORlv UNITED srArEs Parnr onricn.

onARLEs E. KMBALL, or'ninnvnve,v NEBRASKA.

TlRE-PROTECTOR- NO. 848,177. Specificaton of Letters Patent. Patented March 26, 1907.

i ,N Application filed November 14, 1905. Serial No. 287,339. To all, mit/mt it may cmtcern: "r is a rini which is .arranged t-supp0rt the Be it known that I, CHARLEs E. KnuBALL, I flexible tire, and

aiitizen of the United States, residing at Dunning, in the county of Blaine and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful The-Protector, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to improvement'in tire-protectors for ilexible or pneumatic tires in which one or more series of interlocking pieces are wrapped or placed transversely about the tire; and the objects of my invention are to provide `a band or support to re- -mforce the tire, to provide a shield or armor to prevent wear, to provide a simple and effective shield against puncture or injury of flexible tires, to\ provide such a protector any part of which may be easily and quicklf attached or removed, and to provide a means to prevent the wheels having flexible tires from slipping or skidding. I attain these objects by the following devices illustrated pneumatic or cushion tire with'rim or felly and overlapping plates and Connections. Fig. 2 is across-section of said -tire with rim or felly and end elevation and cross-section, respectively, of the connectingrpieces and overlapping plates. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a section of a flexible tire of the singletube variety With rim and connecting-pieces forming the rotector. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the e evation shown in Fig. 3, with elevation of one-half ofthe connecti'ng-pieces about the tire. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectlon of flexible tire and wheel-rim7 showing protector formed of uniform interlocking plates.

- Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of the parts of which the Fig. 5 is a cross-section. Figs. 7 and 8 are cross-sections of outer face of tire, show- Ei s. 9, 10, 11,V

ing forms of tread-plate. and 15 are bvarious forms o interlocking pieces forming connections and protector. Fig. 13 is a cross-section of a joint of said interloc'king pieces. Fig. 12 is a cross-section of a perforated tread-plate. Fig. 14 is a side elevation of connecting parts shown in F ig. 15.

Similar letters refer to throughout the several figures.

t is any ilexible tire, either pneumatic, as

represented in the drawing, or may be what is commonly known as a cushion-tire, or tire of soft material and 1n any of the varlou forms of soft tires known to the art.

similar parts used with the rim r.

piece; but this does not afi'ectmy invention.

A chain composed of interlocking or connecting pieces p, Z, and h is applied over and about the fieXi ble tire t. The links or pieces of said chain :may be made of any suitable dimensions to give the greatest possible fleXibility to the tire surface consistent With Strength and practicability of manufacture. These chains composed of the connecting or interlocking pieces p, Z, and h may form a continuous band about the tire t only or may form a continuous band about the tire t, rim r, and fellyf or may be attached at each end over the tire t to the tire t, rini r, or felly f. These chain bands or series of connectingpieces are all independent of each other and f is .the felly, sometimes In the art the felly f land the rim 7' are often one and the same may be placed with their edges close together,

or they may be arranged to' overlap, as shown in Figs. 1, 6, 7, and 8. They may be arranged to hook into the rimr, as shown in Figs. 3 andf, or under the rim r, as shown in' Figs. 1, 2, and 5, or under the rim r and by a hook upon the rim r, as shown in Fi s. 5 and 6, andin the same manner onto t e tire t itself or to the fellyf by any suitable means. These chains p Z h, &c., may be formedby a tread-plate p, having interlocking plates l l, &c., with link h engaginv. the rim r, or they may be made of pieces p I Z, &c.,-each piece of the same size and shape. Metallic plates may be used in any of the forms described and may be overlapped, as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 6., Fig. 7, and Fig. 8, or ch'ains may be placed with the outer or tread lates p p, &c., in juxtaposition, as shown in ig. 3. These pieces 1) 7), &o.,\may alsobe formed, as shown at a a, Fig. 11, of any convenient size and shape to support the material of the flexible tire. rl`he tread-plates p p; &c., and any number of other connecting-piecesl l, &c., may consist of metallic interlocking plates IOO placed upon the tire and connected, las heretofore described. Perforations b may also be formed in the tread-plates p p, &c., as

' shown in Fig. 11, and in these perforations may be placed cores of softer material, as lead, rubber, wood, or liber, for the purpose of decreasing.)r the, noise of the tires strike the ground or paveinent When upon the running Wheel. There may also be placed upon the tread-plates p p, &c., projections, as shown at o c- &c., or the said as they pieces may be made with rough or corrugated surfaces, or the overlapping plates may be slightly raised, as showniatv e e, &c., to preventskidding or slipping the wheels' Each set of chains 7) p l Z, &c., or series of connecting or interlocking pieces p p Z h, &c.,

forming the band over the tire t, are placed in such juxtaposition as to prevent puncture between the pieces, but loosely enough to allow for the change of periphery of the tiresurface due to depression of the same .when

'quired. VVhen 't e plates are formed as shown in Fig. 10, they may be all madealike,`

and the whole casing may be formed (if-ex- ;actly similar pieces. will be formed to enga e the complem'entaryv The rim rin such'c'as'e' ends of said pieces, as -s own in Fig..=5".

lock or connect together in any convenient manner, but preferably by bringing them to some extraordinary Wheel.

osi-tion to whichl they will not be forced when-upon the tire t, as shown in Figs. 13, 14, and 15, and forming` chains, which are vplaced upon the tire by deflating it when a pneumatic tire is used or by pressing it into the soft materiilfy of a cushion or other flexible tire. These bhains of connecting and interlocking pieces 1) lb, &c., are arranged to catch or fasten together, forming endless chains about the tire' t, or tocatch or fasten to the tire t, rim r, or felly f of the When it is desired' to make said protector puncture-proof, the chains p Z h, &c., may be placed closely together over the whole tread-surface of the tire t. i

It a well-known fact that all forms of flexible tires are subject to the greatest wear, danger of bursting, and injury .at the lines on y opposite sides of the tire wherethe Vcompressed portion makes its most acute .angle with'the remaining portion .of the tire. The greatest amount of wear is usually caused-at the Sides of the tire when thus pressed out by' striking ruts and roughness of the track. By applying these chains at weaklportions the tire is supported and protected from injury.

` The tread-plates p p of the chains, by which are nieant the pieces covering the tread porv tion, may be arranged to overlap., as shown elasticity and lexibility of the tire.

in Fig. 7 ,when it is desired to make the tire absolutely puncture-proof, sufiicient looseness being left between their colliding edges to prevent the pieces on the periphery of the tire-from buckling, and thus decreasing the By pro'- viding the necessary hooksor means of holding one end of the said chain to the rim 1', felly f, or tire t and by catcliing the other.

end of thel chains p Z'h, &c., into the rim r, felly f, or tire t of the wheel. in any suitable manner the links may be all of the same size and shape, overlapping where necessary to cover the tire, as heretofore described. It has been found by practical use and demonstration that these hands or pieces can be placed upon the tire, as shown in Fig. 3, so closely together as .to prevent puncture, but loosely enough apart' to not affect to anyextent the flexibility and resiliency of the tire. VVhen it is desired to use this appliance to' f prevent sk-idding and slipping ofthe wheels andV alsoto .prevent puncture, the tread- `plates p p, &c., may be corrugated or furnished with projections c c, &c., formed' upon the piece itself. The plates p lh, &c., may be perforated, or some of them, as l Z, may be perforated, as shown at a a or at b b, or the vtread-plate p to prevent noise and to decrease skidding andslipping may be perforated. In these perforations for the same purposes may be inserted any suitable material, as rubber, lead, wood, or fiber, as The plates p Z Zh, &c., areformed to vinter-..

shown in Figs. 11 and 12. W'hile any suitable material may be used, metallicplates are found to be preferable and have greater value the flex-ibleftirefkThey will also permit a more general use of si'ngle-tube pneumaticV tires and lighter casings for double tire-S.

Tam' awarc that armor and Shields .for tires have been invented and used before, consisting of connocted chains; but

'VVhat I claim, and. desire to secure by Letters Patent, i'sy 1.. The combination with a tire including a rim; of a series of tread-plates arranged upon the periphery of the tire, each tread-plate having oppositely-disposed slots formed in its body, the tread-plates being independent of one another, interlocking plates engaging the Sides of the tire, one of each of the side plates having a tongue for interlocking engagement in the correspo'nding slot of the tread-plate, and the other plates having in- IOO plates having .their body portions spaced i from the bodies of thefadjacent transverselyalining plates. s v

2. =The combination with a .tire including a' formed in its body, thetread-plates being disconnected from one another, interlocking plates engaging the sides of the tire, one of each of said plates having a reduced end forming .a .tongue for int'erlocking engagement in the corresponding slot of the treadplate and the other plates having interlocklng :connection with each set of side plates and Secured to the :im of the'tire, the transversely-alining Itr'ead p and interlocking plates having their body portions spaced from the bodies ofl the transversely-alining plates.

3; Th combination With a tire including a rim; of a series of overlapping tread-plates,

each' having oppositely-disposed slots and a raised portion intermediate the slots, side plates interlocking With each other and With the tread-plates, and other plates interlocking With the side plates and With the riIn.

4. A tire-protector comprising a treadplate provided With a slot at each end, a late having a reduced end forming a tongue or engagement one in each slot of the treadplate, the body portion of each of the second plates being out of contact With the treadplate and each having a slot in it, and an element lengaging the slot of each second plate and Constructed to secure the tread and second plates upon the tire.

5. A the-Protector. comprising a treadplateprovided With a slot at each end, a

:plate having a reduced end formin a tongue for'engagement one Witli each s ot of the tread-plate, the body portion of each of the second 1plates being out of contact With the tread-p ate and each having a slot init, a third plate having a'reduced end forming a tongue for. engagement one in each slot of the second plate, the body portion' of eaehof the third plates being out of contact With the body of the second plates, each third plate having a slot in it, and an element engaging the slot of the third plate and Constructed to secure all the plates upon the tire.

CHARLES E. KIMBALL. W'itnesses:4

ETHEL HEIsLER, QLEM. F. KIMBALL. 

